all the stars and bars
by turtleducklings
Summary: Soul's hand is warm where it fits in hers and she feels hopeful, she really does. Soul/Maka.


**author's note: **i watched soul eater at the beginning of summer and pretty much wept through the whole thing because of this otp. such life ruiners. title is from vampire weekend. reviews are awesome.

**disclaimer:** i don't own soul eater.

* * *

In the beginning:

The white-haired boy's hand is warm where it fits in hers and she swears she can feel her heart in her throat. "Soul Eater Evans," he says, shaking her hand up and down, his grip firm. His smirk is feral, canines sharp, and Maka smiles tentatively back at him, tightening her fingers around his.

"Maka Albarn." One more smirk. He releases her hand and drops his by his side, his other hand snaking into the pocket of dark red jeans.

"So...partners?" His voice is gravelly and rough, the deep timbre of it vibrating through Maka's core. His eyebrow is raised and his teeth are sinking deep into his bottom lip, waiting for her answer.

Her grin grows as his fingers tap and dance on his thigh, playing a melody on piano keys that aren't there. "Sure," she says. "Partners."

His arm feels nice where it's thrown around her shoulders and she feels hopeful, she really does.

* * *

In the middle:

She slowly learns things about him. Like how he wakes up early in the morning but can sleep through the afternoon. How he takes long showers and prefers tea to coffee. Sometimes he snores when he sleeps. She's learned it's impossible to get him to wake up so he'll roll over and really, Soul, I can actually hear you through the walls and you're totally drooling right now.

They don't have a fight til the end of the second week, when he forgets it's his turn to make dinner _again _and she blows up, pacing and ranting and getting right in his face. He matches her blow for blow and ends up leaving after a half hour of yelling, slamming the door behind him and muttering all the way down the hall. Two hours later, he comes back, murmuring a sheepish _sorry_ without looking in her eyes and then proceeding to cook some instant ramen for the both of them. She's so surprised by his apology that she can't even bring herself to care about the cheap saltiness of the meal.

He says sorry again after dinner, red irises flicking up to her face when he's finished. She nods and returns the apology just as sincerely before he smiles with all his teeth and claps her on the back, hard enough to sting (though she'll never admit it).

One time she falls asleep at her desk while she's studying and wakes the next morning warm in her bed, flowered quilt tucked in tight around her knees. The next morning she asks Soul if he put her there and he just shrugs and says, "You looked uncomfortable. And it's not like it was hard; you're so damn skinny anyways."

She smiles softly, hides her blush behind her hand, and doesn't even bother to correct his grammar, letting the 'anyways' hang in the air undisturbed.

* * *

In the end:

They fall to the ground in a heap of sweat and blood and metal, the taste of it all sharp in Maka's mouth. Soul phases and struggles to his feet, taking the violet witch's soul in his hand and weighing it, something like relief spread wide across his face. His mouth opens and the soul goes down his throat, his Adam's apple bobbing with the movement.

After it goes down Soul collapses on the ground next to Maka, twining his fingers through hers and bringing her hand to his mouth.

"We did it." His voice holds all the disbelief she feels and she gasps, turning to look at him suddenly.

"We did it," she breathes, eyes wide. "We did it!" she says, louder, and throws herself on top of him, arms going around his neck and pulling him close.

He laughs and wraps his arms around her middle, pressing a kiss hard into her hair. "Yeah," he says, smiling into her temple, "we did."

His hand is warm where it fits in hers as they start the walk back to Death City, and the happiness Maka feels blooming in her chest is the best thing she's ever felt.


End file.
